Breaking Point
by AJ6
Summary: Steve is called to Danny's house in the middle of the night by HPD and is shocked by what he finds when he gets there. Danny has finally reached his breaking point. But why? And will he ever be the same? Please review and I will post more updates soon.
1. Chapter 1

Breaking Point – Part 1

Steve could see the flashing lights ahead of him as he sped down the street on his way to Danny's house. His heart was pounding and he gripped the steering wheel tighter as he imagine what he would find when he got there. It had been a short fifteen minutes since he received the call in the middle of the night from dispatch. A neighbor had called the police. Gunshots had been reported from Danny's residence and they needed Steve there ASAP. It was 11:00PM and the normally quiet street was lit up by numerous patrol cars parked outside Danny's house and in his driveway. Steve swerved quickly around one of the cars and then jumped the curb before managing to stop his truck on Danny's front lawn. There was an ambulance there as well. He had only just noticed it in his rearview mirror. It was parked across the street and two paramedics stood outside it talking to an officer and one of Danny's neighbors.

 _What are they standing around for?_ Steve wondered. _What the hell is going on?_

Not waiting any longer to find out, Steve jumped from his truck and started running toward the front door. He was halfway across the yard when he was met by an officer.

"Commander McGarrett. Thanks for getting here so fast."

"Where is he?" Steve asked, slowing to a walk to allow the officer time to brief him on the situation. "Is he hurt?"

"He's inside- back bedroom." The officer informed him as they approached the front door. "He appears alright physically, but he fired on us."

"He shot at you?" Steve asked incredulously, stopping on the front step. "Was there anyone else in the house when you arrived?"

"No sir. The door was secured from the inside when we arrived. We made entry and canvassed the rest of the house before finding Detective Williams in the bedroom. There was no sign of anyone else."

"And he shot at you?

"Yes sir."

"Did you announce yourself?"

"Of course. But don't think…" He paused trying to think of the right words. Unable to, he simply stated, "I don't think he heard us. "

Steve nodded. He understood what the officer was implying

"Yeah Ok. Is he in there by himself now?"

The officer shook his head.

"Pua Kai is with him. But we had to pull everyone else out. He still has the gun and he's not responding to anyone."

"OK. Keep everyone out until I give you the word."

"Will do. And be careful Commander." The officer warned as Steve opened the screen door to head inside. "He's really jumpy."

Steve nodded once more before heading inside. Once inside, Steve was shocked by the state of Danny's living room. It was a mess. Despite the condition of his own home after Danny would house sit, Danny kept his own house impeccable tidy. He really was sort of a neat freak. But you wouldn't know it by the state of things now. There were empty beer cans, trash and laundry strewn about the living room. Just another alarming sign that Danny was not himself.

Making his way slowly toward Danny's bedroom, Steve could hear Pua talking to his partner.

"Pua? Danny? It's Steve." He announced himself before reaching the open bedroom door. The last thing he wanted to do was startle them.

"Here!" Pua replied.

Steve entered the room, which was dimly lit by a single lamp from the nightstand next to the bed. Danny was in the corner, sitting on the floor with his knees pulled up to his chest, his arms and head resting on his knees. In his hand, he held his gun. He didn't look up when Steve entered and was quietly mumbling something that Steve couldn't make out from across the room.

Pua, who had been kneeling on the floor in front of Danny, got up and crossed to meet Steve.

"Thank God you're here." Pua whispered. Steve could tell by his tone and demeanor that he was clearly shaken.

"Has he said anything?" Steve asked, glancing over at Danny who had yet to look up and realize Steve was there.

"No nothing. I mean…nothing that makes any sense. He just keeps repeating some baseball lineup."

"The eighty six Mets line up." Steve replied.

"How did you know that?" Pua asked.

Steve sighed.

"Because I know Danny. Thanks for staying with him." Steve said patting Pua on the arm has he passed him on his to get to Danny.

Steve approached his partner slowly and knelt down in front of him. Danny still had his head down and was quietly repeating the Mets line up over and over. Something Steve knew Danny only did when he was extremely stressed and needed to calm himself.

"Danno?" Steve said, placing his hand on Danny's arm.

Danny's head quickly shot up and he immediately raised his gun! Steve reacted quickly leaning away from the barrel of the gun while grabbing Danny's wrist and forcing the gun toward the wall.

"Whoa! Whoa! Easy partner!"

"Steve?"

"Yeah, buddy it's me. Just take it easy."

Danny looked at Steve's hand that was still grasping his wrist and then looked back up at his Partner. His eyes were wide and his breath was coming in quick gasps.

"I'm…I'm sorry." He stammered.

"It's OK?" Steve replied calmly. "Why don't you let me have this?" He said reaching to take the gun from Danny's trembling hand. Once he did so, he held the gun behind his back and Pua quickly moved forward to take it. Danny's brow furrowed with a look of confusion. It was as though he was just now realizing that Pua was also there.

 _But that's not possible_. Steve thought. He heard Pua talking to Danny when he entered the room.

"Is he gone?" Danny asked, his eyes darting around the room frantically? "Did you get him?"

"Get who Danny? There is no one in the house. OK?"

"There was. He was here!" Danny insisted.

"Danno, HPD is here. OK? They said the door was locked and they swept the house. There was no forced entry. You're here alone Buddy. There's no one here."

"He was here! I swear he was here! He was taunting me! He was…he said I'm a murderer."

"Danny…"

"I'm a murderer." Danny hung his head and began to sob.

"No! Danny look at me." Steve put his hand under Danny's chin, forcing him to raise his head. "Who are you talking about? Who said that?"

"Reyes!" Danny replied. "Marco Reyes."

Steve's heart sank and he felt like he had been punched in the gut. _This wasn't happening_. _How did Danny get this far gone?_ He should have insisted Danny stay with him the last time he saw him. He never should have left him alone.

"Buddy no." Steve's voice was now trembling as he fought to control his own tears. "Marco Reyes is not here."

"He was. He was right there." Danny insisted pointing a shaking finger in the spot where Pua now stood.

"Danno listen to me." Steve raised his voice. "Marco Reyes couldn't have been here. OK? He couldn't have been here because you shot him. Please tell me you remember? Reyes is dead buddy! He's dead!"

Danny looked from Steve to Pua and back again to Steve. His eyes filled with tears.

"But…I…" Danny stammered again before dropping his head and reaching out grab Steve's arms. "Oh my God!"

"It's OK Danno."

"Oh God help me." He cried, tightening his grip on Steve's arms. "Please help me."

Steve pulled Danny into his chest and wrapped his arms around his frail and trembling partner.

"It's OK buddy. I got you."

"Help me Steve. Please help me."

"I'm gonna help you Danno. I promise."

Still holding his sobbing partner, Steve turner his head to address Pua.

"Get those medics in here now!"

Pua wiped his tear stained face with the sleeve of his shirt before nodding and hurrying from the room.

"It's OK" Steve repeated to Danny as he rested his chin on the top of Danny's head and tightened his grip on his trembling body. "I'm going to take care of you Danno. Everything is going to be fine."

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

Breaking Point – Part 2

"There are a ton of reporters outside." Alania Kama's 9 year old son informed her as she hurried down the staircase, already late in getting out the door to get her son to school and make her way to work.

"I know Keiki. We are just going to ignore them. OK? Grab your backpack. We're running late." She replied, placing a hand on his shoulder and guiding him toward the hall closet.

"They want to know what's going on with Mr. Williams. Don't they?" Her son replied, grabbing his pack from the closet and slinging it over his right shoulder.

"I'm sure they do. But they won't be getting any information from us." She informed him, opening the front door and shuffling him out.

They had barely made it to the car before three reporters had descended up on them and were shoving microphones in Alania's face.

"Ma'am, Ma'am! Can you tell us what happened here last night?" One reporter asked.

"No I cannot." Alania said, trying to remain calm as she shoved her son into the back seat of her car.

"But you were the one that called 911. Is that correct?"

"I need to get my son to school." Alania snapped at them. "Please move! I have nothing to say to you!"

She swung her car door open, nearly slamming it into a reporter standing nearby.

"You reported gunfire last night. Do you think Detective Williams was attempting suicide?"

Alania saw her son's eyes grow wide with horror. He was quite fond on Detective Williams. The whole family was and his daughter Grace often babysat for him. Furious, Alania slammed her door shut and whipped around to face the reporters.

"You know what? I do have something to say to you."

The reporters quickly raised their microphones in anticipation.

"You should be ashamed of yourselves. Detective Williams has served and protected this Island for the last eight years and what you folks have put him through these last two weeks is just unconscionable."

"Ma'am, we're just doing our job." Insisted one of the reporters.

Alania smirked and shook her head as she swung her car door open and climbed into the car.

"Yeah well…good job. I hope you're really proud of yourselves." She snapped back and slammed the car door in their face.

Steve turned the TV off in disgust and buried his face in his hands. This situation with Danny was only going from bad to worse. But it was comforting to know that the folks in Danny's neighborhood were supporting and defending him and for that he couldn't be more thankful. Especially to the dozen or so who emerged from their homes in the middle of night with blankets, towels or whatever else they had handy to shield Danny from the reporter's cameras as he was loaded into the waiting ambulance.

 _If only Danny had been awake to see this outpouring of support._ Steve thought.

Danny had woken at the hospital, but quickly became agitated and combative. He assaulted a Doctor he thought was Marco Reyes and it took Steve and two security guards to hold Danny down while another Doctor sedated him. Once they got Danny settled, Steve had wanted to stay, but the doctors assured him there was no point. Danny would most likely sleep for several hours, something his body desperately needed.

Steve, on the other hand, didn't get any sleep in the few hours he had been home. He couldn't get the events of the previous night out of his mind. He had never, ever imagined seeing his partner in such a state. But after everything Danny had been through the past two weeks, he should have seen it coming. He should have known…and he should have done something.

 _Two weeks earlier…._

"Danno!" Steve called out as he made his way toward his partner who was kneeling on the ground over a motionless child.

At the outdoor café next to the sidewalk where the child lay, cowering civilians slowly began to emerge from behind overturned tables and benches where they had taken cover once gunfire had erupted around them. Gunfire that had alerted Steve that something had gone terribly wrong Danno's foot pursuit.

"No! No! No" Danny cried. Pressing his hand over the gunshot wound in the small boys chest. A boy who couldn't have been any older than Charlie.

"What the hell happened?" Steve yelled, even though he didn't mean to.

"He just turned and started shooting at me! I dove for cover! They must have been behind me!" Danny exclaimed through his tears. "I didn't even know he was armed."

Steve quickly radioed Tanni to call for an ambulance and to let her know their location.

Off to Danny's left, a brave women had crawled over from where she had taken cover to render assistance to another victim, most likely the young boy's mother. Placing her shaking fingertips on the young women's neck she let out a muffled cry before looking up and making eye contact with Steve. With tears in her eyes, the woman shook her head. It was too late.

"Come on buddy. You're OK. You're gonna be fine." Danny was trying to keep his voice calm in the off chance that the boy could hear him but he was quickly losing his composure. "Steve?"

Steve dropped to his knees beside partner.

"It's going to be OK Danno. Just keep pressure."

"Oh my God! What have I done?" Danny cried.

"Just keep pressure!" Steve repeated before turning his attention to the crowd. "I need a towel or napkin! Something anything!

A waiter rushed forward. He quickly removed his work apron and gave handed it to Steve.

"Here. Use this!"

Steve grabbed the apron just as Lou, Tanny and Junior arrived on the scene.

"Junior! I need your help! Right now! Right now!" Steve ordered wadding up the apron in his hand. "Danny move your hands!"

Danny did so, and Steve placed the apron over the boys wound. Danny immediately moved to put pressure again but Steve pushed him back.

"Junior, I need you to hold this tight."

"Got it!" Junior replied dropping to his knees.

"Tanni! Lou! I want you to take Danny back to the palace and wait for me there."

"No! No! No! I'm not going anywhere!" Danny insisted.

Steve stood up and pulled Lou close so no one else could hear what he was about to say.

"You get Danny out of here now." He said. "I don't know if this kid is going to make it and I don't want Danny here if he doesn't."

 _Present Day_

The boy did make it. In fact, just two days earlier the hospital had upgraded his condition from serious to fair condition. But that was of little consolation to Danny, who had been crucified in the media and by the public for his role in the shooting. He had been stripped of his badge, pending an internal investigation and ordered mandatory counseling, he had yet to schedule. Basically, wracked with guilt and anxiety, Danny had shut down, locked himself in his home and refused to see anyone, not even his kids or Steve.

Steve had spoken with him on the phone several times and even once through the security chain at Danny's front door. But each time the conversation was short. Danny insisted he was fine…he just wanted to be left alone. But Danny wasn't fine. According to the Doctor who had examined him, Danny hadn't been eating enough or sleeping in the weeks since shooting. And that, coupled with stress and anxiety had resulted in the breakdown Steve, Danny's neighbors and half of the HPD had witnessed the night before.

And now, as Steve headed out the door to return to the hospital, he was terrified of what he would find when he got there. He was hoping for the best. Hoping that with a little rest, his partner would be back to himself. But whatever the case, he was not going to let Danny shut him out this time.

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3

Breaking Point – Part 3

Steve picked up the phone receiver on the wall next to the locked doors of the secure hospital wing were Danny had been brought.

"Hello?" A slightly frazzled sounding nurse on the other end greeted him.

"Yes. This is Commander Steve McGarrett. I'm here to see Danny Williams." Steve replied.

"Oh thank God!" Was the response he received before a buzzer sounded and the doors swung open.

"Well that doesn't sound good." Steve muttered to himself as he hung up the phone and hustled through the open door.

He hadn't gotten far into the ward before understood the reason for the Nurses response. Although he was still several rooms away from Danny's, he could clearly hear his partner engaged in a heated conversation with whoever was in the room with him. Steve could only assume at this point it was his Doctor.

Steve glanced at the nurse's station as he picked up the pace toward Danny's room.

"We were just about to call you." One of the nurses advised him.

Sensing the urgency, Steve quickened to a jog and made it to Danny's room just as Danny appeared in the doorway.

"Whoa! Whoa!" Steve said, throwing his hand up and effectively blocking Danny from leaving the room. "What's going on?"

"Oh Steve. Thank God!" Danny replied, taking a step back. "Would you do something please! These assholes aren't letting me leave."

Steve looked over Danny's shoulder and saw a Doctor and two male nurse behind Danny. It wasn't the same Doctor that had treated Danny last night. But Steve would have to wait on the formal introductions.

"Well where you are going?" Steve asked Danny then instantly regretted it. What a stupid question!

Danny clearly thought so as well as he rolled his eyes at his partner.

"On an Alaskan cruise. Where do think I'm going you schmuck? I'm going home!"

"Danny, now that Commander McGarrett is here, why don't we all sit down and talk about this calmly." The Doctor suggested.

"Because I don't need to talk about it!" Danny hollered at him. "I've told you that a thousand times!" Then, turning to Steve he added. "Steve please! Tell them I'm fine."

Steve's jaw dropped. Was he serious? Did he have no recollection of what the hell happened the night before?

"Danny." Steve's voice was nearly a whisper. "I can't."

Danny shook his head in disbelief.

"What? What do you mean you can't?"

"Buddy…" Steve reached out and put a hand on Danny's shoulder. "Do you not remember what happened last night?"

Danny sighed and averted eye contact with Steve.

"Yeah…"

"Yeah?" Steve repeated. Honestly, Steve couldn't believe Danny actually remembered anything from last night. Because if he did, there was no way Danny would be asking him to say he was fine.

"I mean…sort of…some of it. I was drunk."

"You weren't drunk Danny." The doctor cut in. "The records from your intake indicate…"

"I wasn't talking to you!" Danny shouted at him.

"You weren't drunk Danny." Steve agreed. "You had some kinda…"

Steve stopped himself. He didn't want to call it a breakdown. Even if it was true. He couldn't bring himself to say the words.

"Some kinda what?" Danny asked him, clearly losing patience with Steve now as well.

Steve opened his mouth to try and explain, but Danny cut him off.

"You know what? Screw you too. OK? They can't keep me here. I'm leaving."

"Actually we can." The Doctor replied. "For up to 72 hours."

"Yeah? We'll see about that." Danny snarled at him and then pushed his way past Steve and began making his way toward the door.

"Danny! Come on!" Steve called after him.

Danny ignored him and made his way to the door with Steve, the doctor and nurses close behind. No one made any attempt to stop him. Trying to grab Danny at that point was only going to set him off even more. And there was really no need at this point. The door was not going to open for him. They all knew that. Even Danny probably knew it. But he gave the door a good hard tug anyway. And when the door didn't budge, he calmly turned to the nurses at the desk.

"Open the door please." He asked them in a frighteningly calm tone.

Which of course, they did not.

"Please open the door I would like to leave." He said a little louder, his voice starting to crack along with his demeanor.

"Detective Williams, you know we aren't going to do that right now. So why don't you come back into into the room." The doctor offered calmly.

"I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK INTO THAT ROOM! I WANT YOU TO OPEN THIS DOOR!" Danny hollered, pounding his a fist on the glass door while keeping his eyes on the Doctor and nurses that were getting closer and closer to him.

A crowd had started to form now on the other side of the door. Friends and family of other patients, backed up at the door, which of course could not be open with Danny standing there. Some stared at what was unfolding in front of them. Others, clearly uncomfortable, or simply trying to respect Danny's privacy, turned their backs and stepped away…waiting patiently for the situation to be resolved.

"Danny!" Steve exclaimed.

"Please Steve." He begged, reaching out for his partner, grasping onto both of his arms.

"Danno. Just calm down. OK"

"I can't stay here Steve. I can't. "Danny insisted, as tears started rolling down his cheeks.

"Just for a little while buddy." Steve replied.

"They'll take my kids from me." Danny continued to sob.

"No one's taking your kids from you Danny. I promise." Steve replied.

"Please!" Danny continued to beg. "I'll be good. I'll do whatever you want."

"Danny! This is not about you being good." Steve exclaimed, his own tears now freely flowing. "You are good. You just need help."

STOP SAYING THAT!" Danny shouted and pushed Steve away from him. "STOP SAYING THAT!"

"Danny!"

"I HATE YOU!"

"Danny please." Steve begged as he reached out for his partner. But Danny backed away.

"Don't touch me! I will never forgive you for this. Do you hear me? NEVER!"

"Danny you need to stop!" Steve repeated, although he was no longer looking at Danny…he was looking past him.

"I HATE YOU!" Danny repeated even louder

Steve didn't reply. He just stood, jaw clenched tight as he tried to maintain his composure, all while staring over Danny's shoulder.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU LOOKING AT?" Danny hollered at him, having just realized he didn't have his partner's full attention any longer.

He spun around and found himself face to face with his nephew, who had been watching in horror from the other side of the glass.

"Eric." Danny said, his voice almost a whisper.

Steve watched with a breaking heart as Eric placed his hand on the glass, as tears streamed down his face. He could only imagine what it was like for the boy to see his uncle…his _hero_ , in such a state.

"Eric. Buddy." Danny said, placing his own hand on the glass.

But if anyone thought his nephew's presence would calm Danny down, they were sorely mistaken. Things quickly went from bad to worse.

"This is my nephew!" Danny announced, keeping one hand place firmly on the glass door while pointing angrily at the staff behind the desk with the other. "THIS IS MY NEPHEW! OPEN THE DOOR!"

Realizing his presence was only making the situation worse, Eric removed his hand from the door and took a step back.

"NO! Eric. It's OK." Danny said in the calmest voice he could manage under the circumstances. "This is all just a misunderstanding."

Then moving over to the desk, Danny once again tried reasoning with the staff.

"Please! You're freaking my nephew out! Just open the door!"

And when they just stared at him, he lost it! He flung himself onto the counter, reaching in the direction of admittance button. Determined to open the door himself.

That was when the Doctor and nurses moved in and took him to the ground with Danny fighting them the whole way.

To be continued…


End file.
